While Los Santos is a great place to bum around in Grand Theft Auto 5, it’s not the only county you can visit. If you take a drive north you’ll come across Blaine County, a secondary county with miles upon miles of forest to explore and an open desert region perfect for bumming around in a car or taking a break from a life of crime.
While Blaine County doesn’t have as many tourist attractions or city life as Los Santos, it’s still worth paying a visit to, not only to get in trouble with the Los Santos County Sheriff’s Department, but also for visiting a number of its memorable locations.
Allow us to be your tour guide and point out some of the better locations in the area.
Towns
In Blaine County, there are three towns to visit in all. You’ve got the rural town of Grapeseed, which is east of the Alamo Sea and comes with a helpful safehouse and parachuting area, in case you need to practice your jumps; Sandy Shores, which resides close by to a mountain and is well known for its lowlife population, mainly with meth labs, prostitutes and drug addicts; and Paleto Bay, which is near the north side of the county, and comes a number of restaurants and goofing around.
There’s a town for everyone, depending what you’re in the mood for. If you’re like Trevor and in the mood to be a good-for-nothing, Sandy Shores is for you. If you’re looking to get some extreme sports on, Grapeseed is your stop. Finally, if you’re a tourist or just want to relax, head straight for Paleto Bay.
Shops
Though the shops aren’t nearly as plentiful as the ones found in the more highly populated Los Santos, there are still enough reasonable businesses around to get things done.
For instance, you’ll find an Ammu-Nation, a shop where you can stock up on weapons and ammunition if you’re running low – because there’s always room to load up your rocket launcher. In addition, there’s a 24hr Auto Repairs, in case your car is dinged up; an Ace Liquor, if you feel like getting your drunk on; Animal Ark, where you can get food for your dog Chop if he’s getting hungry; and a pair of fast food restaurants, including Taco Bomb and Up-n-Atom Burger.
If you prefer to get into trouble – or you just can’t help yourself from being a criminal, you can mess around with Trevor Philips Enterprises, a company that specializes in drug and arms dealing of all sorts. There’s also a Blaine County Savings Bank, which you can knock over if you feel like getting a few bucks. Word of warning, though: the sheriff’s office doesn’t rest easily on criminals up here, so they will be in pursuit if you cause too much chaos.
Villages
There are four general villages to visit throughout Blaine County, which are divided across from the towns, a little out of the way.
First up is Stab City. If it sounds like a place you don’t want to be, you’re probably right. A majority of criminals reside in this trailer park, including Lost MC members, as well as a number of bikers who have club flags and banners strewn throughout. If you’re looking to fall in with the wrong kind of crowd – or just want to take on a few coyotes roaming in the area – this is a must-stop for you.
Next up is Galilee. This unincorporated community is a nice, quite place that has its own alternate power source, which might be useful if you’re looking to get off the grid for a while, or lay low. Though there’s not much population to speak of, the Alamo Sea is nearby, in case you feel like participating in water activities like boating.
Another small community worth visiting is Harmony. Like Galilee, it has a small population and not much hustling and bustling city life, but it’s perfect if you feel like a quiet getaway, or just want to scavenge for a little while.
Finally, Cape Catfish is a recommended spot. It comes with a dirt road that leads right into the settlement, and can be found just southeast of the El Gordo Lighthouse, which you can visit as well. It has a small lake that you can do some fishing and boating in, as well as a small business that you can invest in, if you prefer to make a quiet living over the bigger ones in Los Santos. You can also get quite a view off the coastline once you stop by.
Sure, Blaine County might be a bit boring compared to the main city, but the city has its fair share of activities and businesses to partake in, as well as a few surprises for Grand Theft Auto fans. Be sure to stop by.
Grand Theft Auto 5 is available now for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Be sure to check out our Free Guide for full coverage on the game as well!
